Megan Brickner

PhD Title:

Characterization of the basolateral amygdala dopaminergic system and its contributions to emotional learning.

Current Position

Postdoc - University of Minnesota

Graduate Publications:

• Brickner MA, Szot W, Wolff AR, Thomas MJ, Saunders BT. Basolateral amygdala dopamine transmits emotional salience. Nat Commun. 2026 Jun 12. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-74226-2. 
• Hart DW, Alonso-Caraballo Y, Hornback B, Robert A, Brickner MA, Esguerra M, Childers WE, Abou-Gharbia M, Thomas MJ. Differential modulation of glutamate transporter-1 by cocaine and oxycodone and the efficacy of MC-100093 to reduce reinstatement of self-administration. Brain Behav. 2025;15(7):e70616

Undergraduate Institution and Major:

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.S. in Psychology and Biology, 2020

Graduate Advisor:

Ben Saunders, Ph.D., Department of Neuroscience
Mark Thomas, Ph.D., Department of Neuroscience